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Veterans Push Back Against Trump, Musk Plan to Slash Health Care, Benefits, 80,000 V.A. Jobs: 'BradCast' 3/27/2025

Brad Friedman — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 01:36:28 +0000

On today's BradCast: The Trump Administration may have chosen the wrong group of Americans to launch a "war" against, including taking jobs, benefits and health care from them. But that's just one of the reasons Republicans now seem to be running scared of their own voters in upcoming special elections. [Audio link to full show follows this summary.]

On Thursday, the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to lay off 10,000 employees. Along with cuts at departments within HHS, such as the FDA, CDC, NIH and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, some 20,000 federal jobs are earmarked for slashing. The Dept. of Defense has already fired thousands of probationary workers (though a federal judge found the firings unlawful), and the IRS has been ordered to cut 6,700 workers. That alone will cost the U.S. hundreds of billions in lost revenue.

But, so far, no other federal agency has set their sites on firing as many workers as the Dept. of Veterans Affairs which, according to an internal memo at the beginning of the month, is planning to slash an astounding 80,000+ jobs, many of them held by veterans themselves. And they are pushing back.

We're joined today by former Congressman MAX ROSE (D-NY), a decorated former U.S. Army platoon leader and combat veteran who now serves as senior advisor to VoteVets.org, the nation's largest progressive nonprofit veterans organization. Last week, the group launched a six-figure, multimedia ad campaign in the districts of five different Republican veteran members of Congress, calling them out "for being complicit and dodging their constituents as Elon Musk's DOGE aimlessly fires Veterans across the country."

Given Rose's background, before discussing the VoteVets campaign, thousands of vets already fired from federal jobs, and GOP cuts to a series of hard-won services and benefits, I had to ask for his thoughts on the ongoing Signal scandal and what might have happened to him, as a platoon leader in Afghanistan (or to any other rank-and-file member of the military), had they used a commercially available texting app to discuss specific times, locations and methods of upcoming planned attacks as it was revealed this week the Administration's top NatSec and Defense cabinet officials did.

"Any level of the military would have been fired for that," Rose tells me. "But I think there's a deeper point here. Which is everyone likes the notion of disruption and innovation, and that is how this administration sold themselves. But the truth of the matter is that what we're seeing is recklessness, destruction, and a disregard for everything that was actually effective."

He offers thoughts on whether Trump's high level cabinet officials, such as National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth should be fired, and whether the specific details shared in the group text --- with a journalist present --- was classified or not. "They are just openly talking about extraordinary events that are set to occur later on that day, that have geopolitical, strategic national security ramifications," he says. "It is beyond stunning. And it's exactly the opposite of what they sold themselves as. It's amateur hour."

As to the benefit cuts and firings that many veterans are already facing, thanks to the "recklessness" of the Trump Administration --- some of which are discussed by veterans themselves in VoteVets' new video ad --- the Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient is even more disappointed.

"Let's talk about the great tragedy of firing these veterans, who have served in uniform. Many of them served in harm's way, and they made an extraordinarily heroic and consequential decision to continue their service --- not just to our great country, but in service to their fellow veterans --- by dedicating this next portion of their career to the VA. Donald Trump ran on how much he loved veterans, how much he was grateful for their service, and now he's turned around in the early days of his Presidency and has decided to fire tens of thousands of them."

"The truth of the matter," Rose continues, "is that what they want to do --- the VA being the second-largest federal government department --- is they want to destroy it. They want to privatize it. They claim it's because the VA is an underperformer. But the stats tell exactly the opposite story. The statistics say that the VA consistently records higher quality metrics compared to peer institutions and higher ratings of patient satisfaction. That's why the veteran community is almost universally aligned in support, in not just preserving the VA but building upon it."

"This Administration's war on veterans," doesn't end there, he argues. "They decided to cut the PACT Act in the last Continuing Resolution, the budget deal, which was a monumental bipartisan piece of legislation to make sure that services are provided to veterans suffering the consequences of manning burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. They decided to cut the Small Business Administration, negatively impacting veterans ability to access small business loans. They decided to cut HUD and grants related to services for homeless veterans. So the list goes on and on."

As to how all of this may affect the political and electoral landscape moving forward, including among veterans, 6 out of 10 of whom voted for Trump in 2024? Tune in for the former Congressman's thoughts on that. But, as Rose asserts: "People should be digging deep. They should know there is hope for Democrats to bounce back. They should know there are extraordinary candidates raising their hands across the country, reaffirming their commitment to service, many of them being veterans."

AND, SPEAKING OF UPCOMING ELECTIONS... Republicans seem to be getting really nervous about next week's Special Elections in Florida to fill the vacated seats of former Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, even though both are in deep red districts where Trump and both former Congressmembers easily won their elections just five months ago. Latest evidence of their concern? Today, Trump withdrew his nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik for U.N. Ambassador, to make sure her seat in a Trump +15 district in upstate in New York doesn't get flipped in an upcoming Special Election, given the razor-thin majority Republicans currently hold in the U.S. House. She is really bummed. Sad!

AND, FINALLY... Record, unprecedented, climate change-fueled wildfires are raging in South Korea. The blazes have already killed 27 and destroyed more than 300 structures, some of them historic, including a 7th century temple complex. As if that's not bad enough, Desi Doyen is also here with our latest Green News Report, as the Trump Administration has simply omitted climate change from their newly released U.S. National Threat Assessment Report; the EPA's rollbacks to air and water pollution rules are set to cost hundreds of thousands of American lives; and as the corrupted U.S. Supreme Court gives yet another offering to the fossil fuel industry responsible for so much of this deadly mess...

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'Green News Report' - March 27, 2025

Desi Doyen — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:14:45 +0000

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IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Trump Administration omits climate change from the U.S. National Threat Assessment Report; EPA's rollback of landmark clean air and water rules will cause significant harm to public health; PLUS: U.S. Supreme Court closes the door on historic youth climate lawsuit... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

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Got comments, tips, love letters, hate mail? Drop us a line at GreenNews@BradBlog.com or right here at the comments link below. All GNRs are always archived at GreenNews.BradBlog.com.

IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): NIH ends future funding to study the health effects of climate change; Huge South Korea wildfires kill 27 and threaten to destroy ancient temples; Climate change is the backdrop to our lives, but it's missing in movies; Despite staff and budget cuts, NOAA issues critical drought warnings in its Spring Outlook; How Elon Musk’s layoffs are threatening America's shrimp; A guide to the 4 minerals shaping the world’s energy future... PLUS: Is planting trees 'DEI'? Trump administration cuts nationwide tree-planting effort... and much, MUCH more! ...

STORIES DISCUSSED ON TODAY'S 'GREEN NEWS REPORT'...

DOGE cuts 90+ climate programs at the Pentagon:

Pentagon axes 91 climate studies Hegseth spurns as 'crap' (Reuters)
Officials and experts warn that Pentagon plans to cut climate programs will hurt national security (CNN):

Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, former assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations and environment, told CNN that climate programs are not just important to giving the US military an edge on adversaries like China, but they also help keep service members and their families safe. "Inaction at this point will put our readiness and the lives of our troops and their families at greater risk," he said.
Pentagon abruptly ends all funding for climate, social science research (Science)
Why climate change is a ‘threat multiplier’ (Yale Climate Connections, 2019)
Climate Change as a “Threat Multiplier”: History, Uses and Future of the Concept (Center for Climate and Security)
The Pentagon Warned That Climate Change Threatens Half of America's Military Installations (Time, 2/1/2018)
Report: The Navy’s Vanguard Against Rising Sea Levels (US Naval Institute)
US Air Force says it needs nearly $5 billion for hurricane and flood damage (CNN)

Trump Admin. omits climate change from National Threat Assessment report:

Climate change taken off global threat list (Axios):

For the first time in over a decade, climate change or environmental issues were missing from spy agencies' assessment yesterday of worldwide threats to the U.S. Why it matters: The change — which drew public pushback from one Senate Intelligence Committee member — reflects the new priorities of the Trump administration and the de-emphasis of climate change across agencies.
Maine senator grills intelligence director Gabbard on omission of climate change from annual threat report (The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists)
VIDEO: Senator King Presses Intelligence Director on Climate Impacts (This Is Not Cool blog)
Gabbard pressed on omission of climate change from threat report (NewsNation)
Tulsi Gabbard on Climate Change: Where the Candidate Stands (Inside Climate News, 1/6/2020)
Hegseth says Pentagon 'does not do climate change crap,' doubling down on ignorance (MSN)
SignalGate Is Bad; But OPSEC Isn’t Even the Worst Part Of It (Talking Points Memo)

Trump EPA to close scientific research division:

Trump Administration Aims to Eliminate E.P.A.’s Scientific Research Arm (NY Times)
Former Top EPA Official Warns of Dire Consequences of Planned Purge at the Agency’s Science Office (Inside Climate News):

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who spent 40 years at EPA, said the proposed move will debilitate environmental protections, prevent the agency from getting ahead of future threats and leave the public exposed.

EPA rollbacks of pollution rules will cause significant harm to public health:

Trump’s EPA aims to cut pollution rules projected to save nearly 200,000 lives: ‘People will be hurt’ (Guardian):

Moves to roll back 31 pollution regulations risk public health and big annual healthcare savings, Guardian analysis shows.

U.S. Supreme Court ends historic youth climate lawsuit, Juliana v. United States:

Supreme Court denial effectively ends federal climate lawsuit brought by teens (NPR):

"It ignited this global movement and really changed the legal paradigm around reexamining children’s most fundamental rights in the context of their greatest threat today,” she told KLCC. “And that is the climate crisis."
A decade-long climate lawsuit saw plaintiffs grow from childhood to adulthood. Now, it's over (AP)
Supreme Court rejects youth climate suit despite Hawaii’s progress (Rueters):

The justices denied a request by the youth activists to hear their appeal of a decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals directing a federal judge in Oregon to dismiss the case after holding they lacked legal standing to sue. The decision marks the end of Juliana v. United States, one of the longest-running climate change cases that youth activists have filed nationwide and one that the plaintiffs’ lawyers say helped sparked a broader youth-led movement for climate rights.
Juliana v. US: Supreme Court decision brings 10-year climate case to an end (Common Dreams):

While the decision was disappointing for those involved with the case, they highlighted that "Juliana sparked a global youth-led movement for climate rights that continues to grow."

'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (Stuff we didn't have time for in today's audio report)...

For a comprehensive roundup of daily environmental news you can trust, see the Society of Environmental Journalists' Daily Headlines page

NIH ends future funding to study the health effects of climate change (CNN)

Huge South Korea wildfires kill 27 and threaten to destroy ancient temples (BBC)

Climate change is the backdrop to our lives, but it's missing in movies (Inside Climate News)

Despite staff and budget cuts, NOAA issues critical drought warnings in its Spring Outlook (Inside Climate News)

How Elon Musk’s layoffs are threatening America's shrimp (HeatMap News)

Is planting trees 'DEI'? Trump administration cuts nationwide tree-planting effort (NPR)

A guide to the 4 minerals shaping the world’s energy future (Grist)

A Landmark Decision for Indigenous Rights: The Inter-American Court Protects Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation in Ecuador (Environmental Defense Fund)

Phoenix reaches 99 degrees, breaking previous daily record from 2022 (AZ Central)

Can Colorado Keep Its Momentum on Climate Action as the Trump Administration Pulls Back Federal Support? (Inside Climate News)

Toxic chemical TCE is linked to birth defects, cancer and Parkinson’s. Republicans in Congress want to reverse a ban on it (Pro Publica)

Trump administration moves to shutter mine safety offices in coal country (Grist)

The world has just experienced its hottest decade (CNN)

Wall Street Journal: Clean energy transition is unstoppable (This Is Not Cool blog)

Can we avoid the enshittification of clean-energy tech? (David Roberts, Volts)

Stop emissions, stop warming: A climate reality check (Dr. Andrew Dessler, Climate Brink)

The Climate Fight Will Continue (This Is Not Cool blog)

Who Will Care for Americans Left Behind by Climate Migration? (Pro Publica)

Is the Atlantic Overturning Circulation Approaching a Tipping Point? (The Oceanography Society)

How Oil Companies Manipulate Journalists (Drilled)

Abrupt reduction in shipping emission as an inadvertent geoengineering termination shock produces substantial radiative warming (Nature)

How To Spot 5 Of The Fossil Fuel Industry's Biggest Disinformation Tactics (Guardian)

The Oceans We Knew Are Already Gone (The Atlantic)

Plug-in hybrids vs. electric cars: We did the math on which is better for you (Washington Post)

How to electrify your life when you rent (The Verge)

Complete Series: Farmers Under Attack for Supporting Clean Energy (This Is Not Cool blog)

Feeling Overwhelmed About Going All-Electric at Home? Here's How to Get Started (Inside Climate News)

Feeling Hopeless About the Climate? Try Our 30-Day Action Plan (The Revelator)

Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration (Pro Publica)

Exxon's Snake Oil: 100 years of deception (Columbia Journalism Review)

Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (Drawdown.org)

Signal Scandal Gets Worse for Trump, GOP; Big Special Election Victories for Dems in PA: 'BradCast' 3/26/2025

Brad Friedman — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 02:02:09 +0000

Today on The BradCast: Things get worse for the Trump Administration and the buffoonish Republicans who love him on Capitol Hill, following another embarrassing round of disclosures from 'Signal Gate', while Dems take back control of a state House and flip a very "red" state Senate seat in Special Elections yesterday in a key battleground state. [Audio link to full show follows this summary.]

That's hardly all we've got for you in yet another too big show today...

'NOBODY WAS TEXTING WAR PLANS,' EH?: Capitol Hill continued to roil on Wednesday, after The Atlantic's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg published the full message thread from the Signal group chat that he was invited to join, for some still-unexplained reason, last week, by Donald Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in advance of a U.S. attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The small group consisted of high-level Trump National Security and Defense officials, from the Vice President to the Sec. of Defense, Sec. of State, CIA Director, Director of National Intelligence and more. The newly published text messages from the Signal conversation on the unsecured commercial mobile app, reveal very specific times, places and methods of attack, just as Goldberg originally asserted in his original blockbuster report on Monday.

In response to the original report, SecDef doofus Pete Hegseth falsely told reporters, "Nobody was texting war plans." Today's Atlantic report reveals that he very much did. The new details also appear to counter claims from Trump's CIA Director John Ratcliffe and his wildly unqualified Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, when they both asserted that no classified information was shared with the Signal group. They were both members of that group. Donald Trump also made that same false claim on Tuesday. If very specific attack plans posted to Signal by Hegseth weren't "classified" details, they certainly should have been. But, even if not, they were definitely National Defense Information, which means members of the group chat may have violated the Espionage Act. The messages set to disappear after a number of weeks by Walz, would also be in violation of the Presidential Records and Federal Records Acts, according to legal experts.

Even a number of rightwing columnists are calling for accountability and the removal of Hegseth and Waltz. A few Republican U.S. Senators are calling for full investigations. And, of course, Democrats have already been demanding accountability, both at yesterday's Senate Intel hearing and in another one today in the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, which also featured laughable testimony from Ratcliffe and Gabbard. Desi Doyen has details for us on today's program.

PA VOTERS PUSH BACK: While things are falling apart politically for Trump and his incompetent aides and Congressional sycophants in D.C., voters are already ringing in with their dissatisfaction at the polls. In Special Elections in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, a Democratic win in the state House has resulted in the party regaining their slim majority in the Legislature's lower chamber. But that was to be expected from a very Democratic district. Bigger news for Dems came in the Special Election for the state Senate, where the Democratic candidate managed to flip a seat in a very red district that Trump won by 15 points last November. James Malone narrowly defeated his Republican opponent by running against Trump's madness and Elon Musk's DOGE Bro efforts to dismantle Social Security, Medicaid and the rest of the federal government. It was a huge upset victory for the Democrats, as they won this particular area of Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities for the first time in 136 years! (Tuesday's win echoes another last month when Dems flipped a state Senate seat in a special election held in a deep red, Trump +21 district in Iowa.)

MORE ELECTIONS NEXT TUESDAY: Another round of critical elections are underway right now, with Election Day next week (April 1) in Wisconsin and Florida. The battle for majority control of WI's Supreme Court is underway (as we discussed recently with the Badger State's John Nichols of The Nation), as the world's richest man, Elon Musk, has thrown some $18 million into the race to support far-right Trump Republican Brad Schimel, in hopes of defeating liberal candidate Susan Crawford.

In Florida, there are two special elections Tuesday for the U.S. House, though both are in very red districts. The CD-1 race will fill the seat vacated by alleged child sex trafficker Matt Gaetz, the other, in CD-6, is to fill the seat vacated by Trump's incompetent National Security Advisor and Signal chat enthusiast Mike Waltz. Democratic candidates Gay Valimont and Josh Weil, respectively, are waging uphill battles to flip those very "red" U.S. House districts to "blue". Each have, reportedly, outraised their Republican opponents. Though Musk has now also reportedly jumped into those races with his billions as well, at the very last minute. A victory for Democrats in either of those seats (or anything close to it), will be seen as a political earthquake next week.

TRUMP ATTEMPTS ELECTION POWER GRAB: Finally, you may have heard about the Executive Order that Donald Trump issued last night, purporting to mandate proof of citizenship when registering to vote. That said, Presidents DO NOT HAVE THE POWER to issue such mandates. Election law is largely the legislative domain of States, Counties and occasionally via laws adopted by Congress. Trump's largely performative EO (which also includes a number of other voting and election mandates that are similarly beyond his powers as President) will face huge legal challenges. As Election Law professor Rick Hasen noted in his initial response to Trump's "dangerous Executive Order" last night, the measure is an attempted "executive power grab" that, if successful, would "disenfranchise millions of voters."

Ya know...Just another dull day in these United States...

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'Emptywheel' on Why Trump NatSec Team Should 'Resign in Disgrace' After Signal Chat Debacle: 'BradCast' 3/25/2025

Brad Friedman — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 01:18:01 +0000

This one is really a debacle. It's likely criminal as well, on several levels, according to today's guest on The BradCast. [Audio link to full show follows this summary.]

You have likely heard by now about the group text chat that The Atlantic's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was somehow invited to over the commercially-available mobile phone app called Signal, in which top-level Trump Administration cabinet officials, including Donald Trump's Defense Secretary and former Fox 'News' weekend host, Pete Hegseth, discussed specific U.S. attack plans for bombing Yemen,

Goldberg detailed on Monday (free link) how he was invited into the group chat by Trump's National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz. Classified information was discussed in the conversation. But, while Goldberg knew better than to publish specifics, he explained: "What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing."

Other Signal accounts participating in the group included those for JD Vance (Vice President), Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence), Scott Bessent (Treasury Secretary), John Ratcliffe (CIA Director), Stephen Miller (Deputy White House Chief of Staff), Susie Wiles (White House Chief of Staff) and Steve Witkoff (Special Envoy to the Middle East). That, as NPR reported today, the Signal app was cited in a Dept. of Defense email last week to all Pentagon employees, warning of a "vulnerability" exploited by "Russian professional hacking groups" that makes the app unsuitable for use by the military, even for non-public UNclassified information.

As luck would have it, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee had a hearing already scheduled for today, with witnesses including Gabbard and Ratcliffe --- both members of the Signal chat in question --- and Kash Patel, Trump loyalist and wildly-unqualified FBI Director. While most Republicans on the Committee were interested in discussing anything but this matter, Dems were rightly laser focused on it, including the fact that Witkoff was apparently at the Kremlin for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month when the text list, detailing plans to bomb Houthis in Yemen and reportedly revealing the identify of a senior CIA officer, were discussed.

We're joined today by our friend and longtime independent national security journalist MARCY WHEELER. In her piece today at Emptywheel.net, she detailed "Seven Reasons Trump's Entire National Security Team Should Resign in Disgrace" following the signal debacle. We step through each of those reasons with her today.

Wheeler was amazed that, even though the identities of everyone in the group were available to all members, nobody seemed to notice, or be troubled by, the inclusion of a journalist. Especially a journalist who Hegseth would go on to try and smear as "a deceitful and highly discredited, so-called journalist whose made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again." That, after Hegseth revealed classified war plans to him in the Signal chat and the White House has already confirmed the matter.

Wheeler charges that Trump's entire national security team in the group appears to have potentially violated Section F of the Espionage Act, which, in her words from her today, "makes it a crime to so negligently mishandle National Defense Information that someone not authorized to receive it does receive it."

"If you are so stupid as to share attack plans on a Signal thread that a journalist happens to be accidentally added to, that may be criminal," she tells me today, detailing how Section F of the Act bars the sharing of National Defense Information "through gross negligence", etc. "In other words, Pete Hegseth shares information about this attack with somebody not entitled. Because Pete Hegseth is so stupid, that might get you to [Section F]. And you had the entire national security establishment just sitting there watching Pete Hegseth do that!"

There is also the matter of violating both the Presidential Records Act and Federal Records Act by setting comments in the chat group to automatically delete after a week. Moreover, she observes, the fact that Trump claimed on Monday afternoon to know nothing about the matter, even after the story was published in The Atlantic, means that either critical NatSec information was withheld from the President, or he was simply lying when he claimed to have known nothing about it when asked for comment by a journalist at the White House. Wheeler argues that's "not plausible, because if he hadn't been told in advance, he would be firing [group chat member and Chief of Staff] Susie Wiles right now. He'd be firing Mike Waltz right now. JD Vance. He would be firing everybody who knew this was going to come out and didn't warn him. He hasn't fired any of them, so we have to assume he was lying when he pretended he didn't know anything about this." She goes on to add: "But if he didn't know anything about it, it means that he can't trust anyone around him. That all the people who are running his national security are not keeping him in the loop."

Also, the fact that Witkoff was in Russia, at the Kremlin, as a member of the group chat means that all of the accounts of other members on the list may also be compromised. "You bring a phone into Russia, they are going to compromise the phone. Sitting in the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin is really close to the top of the list of stupid things you can do with a phone when you're planning war strikes," says Wheeler. "The timing on it is quite clear. He was in the Kremlin when that list was started. Was his phone compromised? And if so, what else was on his phone? That's, to my mind, one of the most pressing questions Democrats should be asking every minute."

Tune in for much more on all of this from Marcy, including the outrage that FBI Director Kash Patel claimed during his Senate Intel Committee testimony today that he only just learned about the matter himself late last night, and that Trump's Attorney General, Pam Bondi, is likely too busy doing Fox "News" hits to be troubled with enforcing the rule of law against fellow members of the Trump Administration, no matter how much danger they may have placed the country in with their negligence and/or incompetence.

ALSO ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Desi Doyen is here with our latest Green News Report, covering a new round of wildfires in the very dry, very windy Carolinas this week, as Trump dismantles FEMA; a new warning about dwindling fresh water supplies thanks to disappearing glaciers as the climate continues to warm; and the fossil fuel industry calling in IOUs from Congress to block liability lawsuits from being filed against them for their roles in knowingly causing our worsening climate crisis...

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'Green News Report' - March 25, 2025

Desi Doyen — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:21:16 +0000

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IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Flood-ravaged Carolinas struck by another round of wildfires, as Trump pushes to dismantle FEMA; Melting glaciers around the world threaten water supplies for billions of people; PLUS: Fossil fuel industry pushing Congress to give it 'immunity' from liability for climate damages... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

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IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): The doublespeak of Energy Secretary Chris Wright; Congress seeks trillions in cuts. Will oil industry's tax breaks skate by?; NIH ends future funding to study the health effects of climate change; The vicious cycle of extreme heat leading to more fossil fuel use; Juliana v. US: Supreme Court decision brings 10-year climate case to an end; Fossil-funded research used to avoid paying workers hurt by 2010 Gulf spill... PLUS: Climate deniers shift focus to renewable energy skepticism... and much, MUCH more! ...

STORIES DISCUSSED ON TODAY'S 'GREEN NEWS REPORT'...

South Korea battles deadly, fast-moving wildfires:

Carolinas struck by another round of Fire Weather:

Wildfires in the Carolinas burn more than 6,000 acres, prompting evacuations, a burn ban and National Guard deployment (CNN)
VIDEO: Wildfires continue to scorch Carolinas, with some homes destroyed and people ordered to evacuate (NBC News):

A brief bout of rain Monday couldn't stop the fires, which have taken advantage of strong winds, low humidity and moderate to long-term drought conditions.
Nearly 90% of North Carolina counties at high fire danger levels as wildfires rage (WBTV-Charlotte)
Hurricane Helene leaves forests vulnerable to wildfire risks in Western North Carolina (WLOS-TV Asheville)
South Carolina will get FEMA help for Pickens County, Greenville County fires (WYFF-TV Greenville)

Trump moves to push disaster responsibiities onto states:

Trump wants states to handle disasters. States aren't prepared (NPR):

Without FEMA, states would need to find thousands of additional personnel to inspect damage, distribute disaster aid and plan the rebuilding of public infrastructure. Without federal funding, states would face billions of dollars in recovery costs.
FEMA hiring overhaul drives fears of agency dismantling as hurricane season nears (CBS News)
Welch says Trump administration plans to eliminate FEMA would be 'catastrophic' (WCAX-Burlington)
'Maximum chaos': Ex-FEMA official details pitfalls of Trump's disaster preparedness policy (Alternet)
If FEMA Didn't Exist, Could States Handle the Disaster Response Alone? (DC Report)
What Texas could lose if Trump cuts FEMA (Axios)
Trump's FEMA chief assailed the agency with untruths (E&E News)
As Trump works to cut FEMA, data shows there was a major disaster declaration every four days in 2024 (CNN)

UN report warns glacier melt threatens water for billions of people:

UN World Water Development Report 2025 (UNESCO)
Glacier meltdown risks food and water supply of 2 billion people, says UN (Guardian)
VIDEO: World's glaciers are losing record ice as global temperatures climb, U.N. says (Reuters)
Glacier melt threatens water supplies for two billion people, UN warns (Carbon Brief):

The report highlights a wide range of impacts, including reduced water for drinking and agriculture, stress on local ecosystems and increased risk of "devastating" glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
VIDEO: Glaciers Demise is Security Nightmare (This Is Not Cool blog):

In Asia, billions of people, whose governments have been historically at odds, and are now nuclear armed, rely on Himalayan glaciers as primary water sources for drinking, agriculture and industry. The rapid decay of these reservoirs should give us all pause.
The Urgent Need to Preserve Glaciers in a Warming World (UN Chronicle)
VIDEO: Dr. John Pomeroy, The fight to preserve the world's glaciers (CBS News, 12/14/2024)

Oil industry lobby pressuring Congress to grant them immunity from climate lawsuits:

Oil Companies Seek Trump's Help to Thwart Climate Lawsuits, Superfund Laws (Wall St. Journal, no paywall):

The industry is making a case for the Justice Department to file briefs in support of its lawsuits, or file its own suits against Vermont and New York...Separately, oil-and-gas lobbyists are urging members of Congress to consider granting legal protection for oil companies against lawsuits over their contributions to climate change. The fossil-fuel industry has learned from the mammoth lawsuits that clobbered tobacco companies and wants to avoid the same fate. Executives are seeking a predictable environment to navigate, and think that now is the time to push back against claims, people familiar with the lobbying push said.
Environmental Groups Sound Alarm As Fossil Fuel Lobby Pushes For Immunity (Guardian):

"We have reason to believe that the fossil fuel industry and its allies will use the chaos and overreach of the new Trump administration to attempt yet again to … shield themselves from facing consequences for their decades of pollution and deception," reads a letter to Congress on Wednesday. It was signed by 195 environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, Earthjustice and Sunrise Movement; legal non-profits including the American Association for Justice and Public Justice; and dozens of other organizations.

'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (Stuff we didn't have time for in today's audio report)...

For a comprehensive roundup of daily environmental news you can trust, see the Society of Environmental Journalists' Daily Headlines page

The doublespeak of Energy Secretary Chris Wright (Pro Publica)

Congress seeks trillions in cuts. Will oil industry's tax breaks skate by? (Inside Climate News)

New fire maps put nearly 4 million Californians in hazardous zones (CalMatters)

NIH ends future funding to study the health effects of climate change (Pro Publica)

The vicious cycle of extreme heat leading to more fossil fuel use (NY Times)

Juliana v. US: Supreme Court decision brings 10-year climate case to an end (Common Dreams)

Growing weed takes more energy than mining bitcoin. Can it go green? (Washington Post)

Fossil-funded research used to avoid paying workers hurt by 2010 Gulf spill (Drilled)

Experts say US weather forecasts will worsen as DOGE cuts balloon launches (AP)

Georgia jury orders Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in Roundup suit (AP)

Climate deniers shift focus to renewable energy skepticism (This Is Not Cool blog)

Trump's EPA pivots to powering business at risk to environment (Bloomberg, no paywall)

The world has just experienced its hottest decade (CNN)

Wall Street Journal: Clean energy transition is unstoppable (This Is Not Cool blog)

Can we avoid the enshittification of clean-energy tech? (David Roberts, Volts)

Stop emissions, stop warming: A climate reality check (Dr. Andrew Dessler, Climate Brink)

The Climate Fight Will Continue (This Is Not Cool blog)

Who Will Care for Americans Left Behind by Climate Migration? (Pro Publica)

Is the Atlantic Overturning Circulation Approaching a Tipping Point? (The Oceanography Society)

How Oil Companies Manipulate Journalists (Drilled)

Abrupt reduction in shipping emission as an inadvertent geoengineering termination shock produces substantial radiative warming (Nature)

How To Spot 5 Of The Fossil Fuel Industry's Biggest Disinformation Tactics (Guardian)

The Oceans We Knew Are Already Gone (The Atlantic)

Plug-in hybrids vs. electric cars: We did the math on which is better for you (Washington Post)

How to electrify your life when you rent (The Verge)

Complete Series: Farmers Under Attack for Supporting Clean Energy (This Is Not Cool blog)

Feeling Overwhelmed About Going All-Electric at Home? Here's How to Get Started (Inside Climate News)

Feeling Hopeless About the Climate? Try Our 30-Day Action Plan (The Revelator)

Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration (Pro Publica)

Exxon's Snake Oil: 100 years of deception (Columbia Journalism Review)

Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (Drawdown.org)

Head of Largest U.S. Postal Workers Union Vows USPS 'Belongs to the People, Not the Billionaires': 'BradCast' 3/24/2025

Brad Friedman — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 01:37:22 +0000

The nation's postal carriers and workers are not going down without a fight, as they've made abundantly clear with hundreds of rallies around the country in recent days, and as the head of the nation's largest postal workers union made very clear on today's BradCast. [Audio link to full show follows this link.]

Over the weekend, in hundreds of cities large and small around the country, unionized postal workers rallied outside of USPS facilities --- often joined by Democratic lawmakers --- to send the message that they don't intend to be privatized by Donald Trump, Elon Musk and his DOGE Bros. The Administration, in cahoots with Trump's Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, have been suggesting as much in recent days.

Despite the U.S. Constitution's mandate for a national postal service (originally stood up by the first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin, in 1775), Trump and Musk have been hinting that they hope to privatize the U.S. Postal Service. "It's been just a tremendous loser for this country," Trump declared at one point during Lutnick's recent swearing-in ceremony. "Tremendous amounts of money that they've lost," he added.

But the independent agency is not funded by taxpayer dollars. It is funded by the individuals who use its services, delivering mail six days a week to every address in the nation at the same price. It is not supposed to be a money maker, even though, as my guest notes, it sometimes does nonetheless.

We're joined today by MARK DIMONDSTEIN, President of the American Postal Workers Union. They have been sending out a big flashing red siren that Trump and his wrecking crew of billionaires are hoping to privatize the Post Office, to offer fewer services at a more expensive rate, with hundreds of thousands of good public jobs lost in the bargain.

"We are really seeing a struggle between Wall Street and Main Street. Wells Fargo just put out a report about how great it would be for investors if the Postal Service was privatized because package rates would go up," Dimondstein tells me. "What they want is their hands on the public till, the public commons, the public money so they can make private profit. But that doesn't do any good for the hundreds of millions of customers, the people of this country, that use the Postal Service. It's in the interest of the people to have a public entity based on service, not business. Based on service, not profit. But it's in the interest of a few wealthy billionaire investors that want to get their hands on this public money."

"They are on a mission. They see an opportunity," he charges. "But their power is going to buck up against the power of the people of the country, who, no matter who they voted for in the last election, support the public United States Postal Service." In fact, the USPS is perhaps the most popular federal institution in the nation.

Dimondstein has much more insight on today's program, on the cost to not only its workers, but the country at large if the Postal Service is privatized, along with ways that it could bring in much more money and provide far more services to the public in every corner of the country if the agency's hands weren't tied by Congress.

He also breaks the news during today's program that the controversial Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy --- originally appointed by Trump during his first term --- had just announced his immediate resignation. Despite the various cuts and organizational restructuring that DeJoy brought to the USPS during his term, Dimondstein actually came to his defense today. Somewhat.

"DeJoy was not a privatizer," the union leader argues. "He was forced out by this administration, in our view, precisely for that reason. He was not a privatizer. He was trying to uphold, to the best of his viewpoint, the public institution, the public mission." He argues DeJoy was, therefore, in contradiction with Trump, Musk and DOGE, who simply want to tear down the Service and sell its pieces off to the highest bidder. "That's not about efficiency. That's about how to rip off the public sector and move it into the private sector."

In the meantime, Dimondstein tells me, "The message is very clear. The US Mail is not for sale. Hands off the public Postal Service. It belongs to the people, not the billionaires."

"We are going to have to send a message as workers, united with the people of the country, to these privatizers and these billionaires: No, you're not going to pick our pocket. You're not going to turn this over to the private sector. You're not going to turn it over and laugh all the way to the bank at our expense. So anything the good listeners can do to help, we welcome it. It belongs to you, the people. Keep it, it's yours."

THEN... An update from over the weekend regarding the Trump Administration's shutdown of the Voice of America and its sister networks around the globe just over a week ago. The silencing of VOA last week --- for the first time since it first began airing as an American counter to Nazi propaganda spreading across Europe in early 1942 --- has been an indescribable loss of real news and information to more than 300 million listeners each week in more than 60 languages. The loss is particularly acute for those in autocratic nations where most sources of independent media have been entirely closed down. Now, VOA is as well, thanks to American autocrat, Trump.

We reported on the Administration's shutdown of VOA last week. First in my interview with its Chief National Correspondent, Steve Herman, and later in the week with a focus on some of those who were inspired toward freedom by VOA's coverage during the darkest days of the Cold War, and on reporters for the service who have been jailed and/or tortured around the world over the years for their work.

Over the weekend, as first reported by Herman at his personal website, a lawsuit [PDF] was filed by several VOA journalists and the worldwide nonprofit journalism organization, Reporters Without Borders. Herman notes that the lead plaintiff, VOA's White House Bureau Chief, Patsy Widakuswara, "grew up under a dictatorship in Indonesia" and that "Some of the other plaintiffs...are among nearly 50 VOA journalists whose J-1 visas are being cancelled [now that they've been placed on administrative leave,] and must leave the country within 30 days. At least six of those face going home to authoritarian countries where they could be jailed, or worse."

That, as Reporters Without Borders' 2024 World Press Freedom Index finds that "The United States ranks 55th out of 180 countries and territories...having dropped an alarming 10 spots from [just] 2023."

I regard the closure of VOA as a huge canary in the coal mines for press freedoms --- and many others --- in this country right now, as we discuss at the close of today's program...

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Sunday 'Suddenly Conceivable' Toons

Brad Friedman — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:35:07 +0000

...NEXT WEEK!...

OOPS! Too grim for a closer? How 'bout this?...

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We're ALL Voice of America Now: 'BradCast' 3/20/2025

Brad Friedman — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 01:45:14 +0000

Happy Spring! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, flowers are in bloom and things couldn't be better! Right? (If you believe that, you may not want to listen to today's BradCast.) [Audio link to full show follows below this summary.]

Among our roller-coaster coverage today...

Finland, not Disneyland, is, once again, the happiest place on Earth, for the eighth year in a row, according to 2025's World Happiness Report from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. The United States, despite this being its "golden age", according to one guy, has now fallen to its lowest-ever position on the annual happiness study. Tune in to hear why people in Finland, Iceland, Sweden and, apparently, our new enemy Denmark, are so happy...and we are not. (Even Mexico cracked the survey's top 10 this year! The U.S. didn't even crack the top 20.)

In grimmer news, Israel has broken its ceasefire with Gaza this week, reigniting its brutal massacre of Palestinians amid one of the bloodiest weeks since the conflict began after Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. To date, more than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7th of that year, according to local health authorities. Israel claims to have begun their assault again because Gaza refused to agree to a change in the terms of the ceasefire agreement that has otherwise largely held since January. The new wave of brutal military assaults is with the full approval of Donald Trump, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, in Russia's brutal assault on Ukraine, we do not seem to be any closer to a ceasefire either, though not for lack of Donald Trump knowingly and repeatedly spreading Russian propaganda regarding the situation on the ground in the Ukrainian held Kursk region of Russia. Trump is apparently working hard to help improve Vladimir Putin's negotiating position in peace talks. All of that according to an exclusive report today from Reuters today, which details how the U.S. intelligence community has informed Trump that he is spreading false Russian propaganda. But he keeps doing it anyway, for some reason. Ukraine has agreed to a full 30-day pause in fighting in recent days. Russia has not.

Had the Voice of America and its affiliated global sister networks like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty not been removed from the airwaves beginning last weekend, by order of the President of the United States, it might have been pretty embarrassing for him. After all, VOA is mandated, by Congressional legislation, to be an "authoritative source of news" that is "accurate, objective, and comprehensive." The last thing Trump likely wants right now is a U.S.-funded media outlet, with "America" in its name, calling out his pro-Russia lies regarding Ukraine. That, of course, is just one of the reasons why VOA and its partner networks have been so critical around the world over the past 83 years, particularly to listeners and readers in autocratic nations --- at least until being silenced by our new autocratic President.

The reason given by the White House for shutting down the service last week --- which couldn't be shut down by German Nazis or Soviet Communists over all of these decades --- is that VOA and its sister networks, under management of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), was broadcasting "radical propaganda" from the Left. As discussed on this show with VOA's Chief National Correspondent, Steve Herman, earlier this week, it was doing nothing of the kind. (If you missed that must-listen interview, it is right here.) Washington Post's fact-checker Glenn Kessler took at a look at the White House's ten examples in support of their absurd claims, finding them to be "remarkably flimsy", to say the least.

Today, Washington Post's Sally Jenkins tells the story of how tennis superstar Marina Navratilova grew up on --- and dreamed of freedom one day thanks to --- Voice of America broadcasts that she and her family were able to pick up each night on a red plastic transistor radio in their small country village in Czechoslovakia during the darkest days of the communist Soviet regime. We share some of that moving --- and inspiring --- story today.

We also share the harrowing reflections on the shutdown by Ukrainian philosopher and journalist Stanislav Aseyev, who was jailed for 962 days and tortured for reporting on the ground at the time for VOA's partner network, Radio Liberty following Russia's first invasion of Ukraine in 2014.

So, yes, reminder: We are all Voice of America now.

And finally, speaking of attacks on free speech in tyrannical times, Desi Doyen is here with our latest Green News Report with news on the environmental nonprofit Greenpeace being ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to a fossil fuel company for its part in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline; a new report from the World Meteorological Organization documenting our spiraling climate crisis; and a reported breakthrough from Chinese automaker BYD, supposedly allowing their new EV batteries charge in about 5 minutes time. Don't look for those cars here, however. Though they are the world's #1 best-selling EV, they aren't allowed for sale in the U.S. With the CEO of their main competitor, Tesla, now seemingly co-running the nation, that is unlikely to change anytime soon...

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'Green News Report' - March 20, 2025

Desi Doyen — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 17:51:52 +0000

Follow @GreenNewsReport...

(Or use "Click here to listen..." link below.)

IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Greenpeace ordered to pay hundreds of millions to fossil fuel company over Dakota Access Pipeline protests; WMO climate report documents spiraling weather and climate impacts; Trump Interior rolls back protections for migratory birds; PLUS: China unveils EV battery charging breakthrough... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

Click here to listen or download MP3 (6 mins)...

Link:
Embed:	'Green News Report' w/ Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen Click to listen (or download) More info on today's report here... " onClick="javascript:this.select();" onChange="javascript:this.value=''" />

Got comments, tips, love letters, hate mail? Drop us a line at GreenNews@BradBlog.com or right here at the comments link below. All GNRs are always archived at GreenNews.BradBlog.com.

IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): New study reinforces worries about pulses of rapid sea level rise; Peruvian farmer takes German energy giant RWE to court in fight to hold polluters accountable; Trump EPA aims to cut pollution rules projected to save nearly 200,000 lives; "The only generation available right now" - natural gas struggles while solar, wind soar; Can toxic mining waste help remove CO2 from the atmosphere; Uranium waste threatens a western New Mexico region's last clean aquifer... PLUS: Why we should worry when whales stop singing... and much, MUCH more! ...

STORIES DISCUSSED ON TODAY'S 'GREEN NEWS REPORT'...

Greenpeace ordered to pay $660 million to fossil fuel company over pipeline protests:

Greenpeace must pay at least $660m over Dakota pipeline protests; Lawsuit aimed at 'destroying the right to peaceful protest' (Guardian)
Jury Orders Greenpeace to Pay Pipeline Company More Than $660 Million (NY Times):

Greenpeace has long argued that the lawsuit was a threat to First Amendment rights, brought by a deep-pocketed plaintiff and carrying dangerous implications for organizations that speak out about a broad range of issues. Greenpeace has called the lawsuit a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP suit, the term for cases meant to hinder free speech by raising the risk of expensive legal battles. Many states have laws that make it difficult to pursue such cases, though not North Dakota.
Jury finds Greenpeace liable for hundreds of millions in relation to pipeline protest (CNN)
Jury says Greenpeace owes hundreds of millions of dollars for Dakota pipeline protest (NPR):

"Everybody is afraid of these environmental groups and the fear that it may look wrong if you fight back with these people. But what they did to us is wrong, and they're going to pay for it," Warren said.
VIDEO: Steve Donziger on the jury verdict: (Twitter/Steve Donziger):

In a deeply unfair trial, the Energy Transfer pipeline company won a $700m verdict against Greenpeace today in North Dakota over phantom "damages" from the Standing Rock protests. This is an attack on Indigenous peoples, the climate movement, and the right to protest.
Jury delivers verdict finding Greenpeace entities liable for more than US$660 million in Energy Transfer SLAPP trial (Press release, Greenpeace)
Energy Transfer lawsuit news coverage (Greenpeace)
VIDEO: Greenpeace on Trial: $300M Lawsuit over Standing Rock Protests Could Shutter Group & Chill Free Speech (Democracy Now!)
Jury Verdict Against Greenpeace Rewards Corporate Attack on Free Speech and Indigenous Rights (Center for International Envvironmental Law)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe files new lawsuit over DAPL (North Dakota Monitor)

WMO State of the Climate report documents spiraling weather and climate impacts:

WMO report documents spiralling weather and climate impacts (World Meteorological Organization)
Over 150 ‘Unprecedented’ Climate Disasters Struck World In 2024, Says UN (Guardian)
The world has just experienced its hottest decade (CNN)
Carbon Dioxide Levels Highest in 800,000 Years (Yale e360)
World Meteorological Organization: Last 10 Years Have Been the Hottest on Record (Truthout)
Stop emissions, stop warming: A climate reality check (Dr. Andrew Dessler, Climate Brink)
VIDEO: Dr. John Kennedy, WMO report author,urges action against global warming (CGTN/Twitter)
Climate Crisis Deepens: WMO Confirms 2024's Unprecedented Heat Amid Growing Environmental Impact (Yahoo News)

Trump Interior Dept. suspends protections for birds:

Birds Face Weakened Protections Under Trump Move (NY Times):

The Interior Department is suspending 20 Biden-era legal opinions, including one leading to fines against energy companies if birds die in oil spills or other industrial activities.
Trump Just Weakened One Of The Nation’s Oldest Environmental Laws (Washington Post, no paywall)
Trump weakens one of the nation’s oldest environmental laws (Center for Western Priorities)

Europe's emissions fall thanks to EV boom:

EVs set to save Europe 20 million tonnes of CO2 this year but transport remains biggest polluter (EuroNews):

A surge in the uptake of electric cars will save Europe 20 million tonnes of CO2 this year, according to new analysis from campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E). That’s equivalent to the emissions pumped out by eight coal power plants and represents one positive trend within a notoriously difficult to decarbonise sector.
Europe set to save 20 million tonnes of CO2 this year thanks to switch to EVs (Transport & Environment):

T&E says the EU should not be rolling back green policies, which are crucial for its energy independence, just when they are starting to work...Europe’s transport sector emitted 1.05 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2024 down from 1.1 billion tonnes in 2019 - a 5% drop. Electric cars are largely responsible for this.

China's BYD unveils super-fast EV charging technology:

Chinese EV Maker BYD Says Charging Could Be As Quick As Filling A Tank (Guardian)
What is EV maker BYD and can its batteries really charge in five minutes? (Guardian)
Tesla Rival Can Charge EV in 5 Minutes Flat. But You Won't See One in US (Newsweek):

U.S. officials have questioned whether these cars could pose national security concerns, and trade policy with China is another barrier. Trump has already imposed steeper tariffs on Chinese goods, as well as levies on foreign-made automobiles, since his return to office, meaning these vehicles may become more costly if there were attempts at selling them in the U.S.
China Delays BYD Factory in Mexico Over Concerns Tech Will Leak to American Rivals (Gizmodo)
BYD: China’s electric vehicle powerhouse charges into Europe (Guardian, 6/18/2024)
Tesla Sales Down Everywhere, Even China (This Is Not Cool blog)

'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (Stuff we didn't have time for in today's audio report)...

For a comprehensive roundup of daily environmental news you can trust, see the Society of Environmental Journalists' Daily Headlines page

New study reinforces worries about pulses of rapid sea level rise (Inside Climate News)

Peruvian farmer takes German energy giant RWE to court in fight to hold polluters accountable (EuroNews)

Trump EPA aims to cut pollution rules projected to save nearly 200,000 lives (Guardian)

"The only generation available right now" - natural gas struggles while solar, wind soar (This Is Not Cool blog)

Food safety jeopardized by onslaught of funding and staff cuts (NY Times)

Saving U.S. Climate and Environmental Data Before It Goes Away (Yale e360)

Can Toxic Mining Waste Help Remove CO2 from the Atmosphere? (Yale e360)

Uranium waste threatens a western New Mexico region's last clean aquifer (Searchlight New Mexico)

Trump Administration approves exports from major LNG project (The Hill)

Fishermen want to go green but say DOGE cuts prevent that (AP)

Why we should worry when whales stop singing (Bloomberg)

Water heater titans clash over Biden efficiency rule repeal (E&E News)

Wall Street Journal: Clean energy transition is unstoppable (This Is Not Cool blog)

Can we avoid the enshittification of clean-energy tech? (David Roberts, Volts)

Stop emissions, stop warming: A climate reality check (Dr. Andrew Dessler, Climate Brink)

The Climate Fight Will Continue (This Is Not Cool blog)

Who Will Care for Americans Left Behind by Climate Migration? (Pro Publica)

Is the Atlantic Overturning Circulation Approaching a Tipping Point? (The Oceanography Society)

How Oil Companies Manipulate Journalists (Drilled)

Abrupt reduction in shipping emission as an inadvertent geoengineering termination shock produces substantial radiative warming (Nature)

How To Spot 5 Of The Fossil Fuel Industry's Biggest Disinformation Tactics (Guardian)

The Oceans We Knew Are Already Gone (The Atlantic)

Plug-in hybrids vs. electric cars: We did the math on which is better for you (Washington Post)

How to electrify your life when you rent (The Verge)

Complete Series: Farmers Under Attack for Supporting Clean Energy (This Is Not Cool blog)

Feeling Overwhelmed About Going All-Electric at Home? Here's How to Get Started (Inside Climate News)

Feeling Hopeless About the Climate? Try Our 30-Day Action Plan (The Revelator)

Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration (Pro Publica)

Exxon's Snake Oil: 100 years of deception (Columbia Journalism Review)

Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (Drawdown.org)

What Trump's Order for the 'Immediate Expansion of Timber Production' Really Means (and Costs): 'BradCast' 3/19/2025

Brad Friedman — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 01:25:37 +0000

Earlier this month, Donald Trump issued an Executive Order calling for the "Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production". As discussed with our guest on today's BradCast, it's difficult to see that separately from his buddy Elon Musk's recent declaration that "logically we should privatize anything that can reasonably be privatized." [Audio link to full show follows this summary.]

BUT FIRST... A few items of note...

It was amusing watching corporate media outlets tip-toe in their reporting around the facts of Tuesday's successful return to Earth by astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore after being stranded on the International Space Station for 9 months following what was supposed to have been an 8 day mission. The pair were safely brought home in a SpaceX capsule that splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. Can you see the dilemma for the nation's major news outlets yet? We discuss. And laugh. (And also point out that the mission was tasked to Elon Musk's SpaceX by NASA last August, under President Joe Biden. No, Donald Trump did not "rescue the astronauts", as his Administration seems to want you to believe.)

In more important news, after covering a string of losses in federal court for Trump on yesterday's program, a few more came in after we got off air. One was a major ruling that blocked his Order banning transgender people from serving in our nation's military. (Try not to laugh at Trump's straight-faced assertion in his EO that service by transgender people, many of whom have received top military honors, "conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life." Cuz if anyone knows about living an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life, it would be the Commander-in-Chief who was found liable for nearly $100 million for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Caroll and found guilty of 34 criminal felony counts related to hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to help him cheat to win an election and other honorable, truthful and disciplined living by Corporal Bonespurs.)

In response to yesterday's program focused, in part, on the lower courts holding firm, for now, against Trump and Musk's rampant lawlessness, we received some interesting feedback from a number of listeners who seemed to view those victories for the Constitution and Rule of Law --- short-term or otherwise --- as hardly worth celebrating, given that all hope is now lost and, in short, America is all but over. While understanding the sentiment, I disagree with that thinking for several reasons, a number of which we discuss today.

THEN... Following news of yet another court loss for Trump late on Tuesday, in which a D.C. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan blocked the Administration's attempt to claw back some $20 billion authorized by Congress and allocated by President Biden as part of his landmark climate initiatives before leaving office, we discuss a recent Executive Order signed by Trump that would massively expand logging and clear-cutting of our national forests and other public lands.

MATT SEDLAR, climate analyst at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, is here to discuss what this scheme is really about; how it relates to Trump's trade war with Canada; the various dangers it poses to both the economy and climate; and how it has little to do with improving forest management or wildfire protection, as Trump's EO falsely claims.

Sedlar explains how the Order appears to directly contradict pretty much everything else that Trump has been doing at the very same time.

"Laying off Forest Service workers, National Park Service workers, and putting out this Executive Order expanding logging, canceling leases for various offices and visitor centers for national parks across the United States," Sedlar tells me, "all point to the privatization of the public lands. Eliminating what we know of as national forests and national parks, and opening it up to making it into a revenue stream."

"It leans more towards that and less towards what he is saying, that this is forest management. Because the science simply does not support what he's saying. It didn't support it in the '80s when you had researchers and scientists warning against it, and it's definitely not going to support it now."

"These are all moves to generate revenue without a look at how this affecting long-term sustainable development. It's all short-term gain for long-term losses," he argues, citing both the costs to the fight against climate change and the bipartisan popularity of our National Parks and Forests.

Tune in, of course, for much more!...

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